Desserts Recipes

Yesterday, we had 12 guests over for dinner. I prepared the entire meal but wasn't planning to make a dessert, except for a large platter of fresh fruit. When everyone had finished their plate, my father-in-law, Daddy, said: "now let's head to the other room and have the desserts Jackie made!" I tried to whisper to him that there were none, but it was too late.

So I ran into the kitchen and whipped up with these sandwich cookies. I only needed 12 minutes to bake them and used fresh strawberries I luckily had in the refrigerator for the filling. Everyone was still enjoying their coffee and tea when my dessert was ready to be served. I could have waited a bit more for the cookies to cool and get firm but I think they were still enjoyable. Mission accomplished!

Just like last year, this year my Valentine is out of town for work. I dropped him at the airport on Monday morning, and even though we'll have to wait until the weekend to celebrate, I prepared a special sweet treat for my husband Lulu that he can enjoy during his business trip. I packed a bag of these chocolate puffs in his suitcase, and once he landed, I sent him a message to tell him his favorite chocolate treats were waiting for him.

The secret to making these soft, fluffy French cookies is to use finely ground steel cut oats, which was provided by Bob's Red Mill. I met their reps during the Fancy Food Show at their booth in San Francisco. The dough is flavored with cocoa powder and I added chocolate chips to reinforce the chocolate flavor.

Give this sweet treat to your sweetheart; I guarantee it will be a hit!

Today (February 2nd) is a popular French celebration called La Chandeleur (also known as Christian holiday Candlemas). How do you celebrate it, you ask? You eat crêpes, ton of crêpes.

I prepared 3 large batches of crêpe batter (click the link for the recipe) last night and let the girls toss so they can prepare their own version by laying down multiple filling options on the kitchen counter. Sprinkling crêpes with sugar can be sufficient but is not at all necessary; the possibilities are truly endless. I've gathered a few ideas for you to try. Bon appétit!

The main reason I baked these muffins is that I had leftover crushed pineapple from our recent Vietnamese beef fondue party. The more romantic reason I tell my husband Lulu is that I'm always thinking about him and I want to please him all the time. Given his sweet tooth, Lulu always enjoys a hot cup of fruity white tea and a few sweet treats, so I think he'll fall for it .

When done properly, there are few things in life more sensual than chocolate. If your true love happens to love chocolate, you might want to consider it as part of a special romantic dinner this Valentine's Day.

This blueberry chocolate mousse would be perfect for someone who is not very confident in the kitchen. It's made of dark chocolate mousse flavored with fresh blueberries, encased in a cup made of blueberry-yogurt pretzels and topped with chocolate-covered blueberries and yogurt or ice cream.

You won't have to spend all day in the kitchen to prepare this dessert, but it will look like you did. Your sweetie will appreciate the gesture!